His head spinning, Anakwanze soon realized what he only instinctively knew up to that point. His father was a special man, one worthy of emulating.

“Everywhere I went, even the memorial they had for him in Nigeria, people would say what a great man he was,” Anakwanze said. “When my head started to clear, I realized I had to be more like my dad. I had to wake up and become a man.”

Weeks after his father’s death, now determined to make the most of his final year at Peninsula, Anakwanze went to Quick’s office and asked for a second chance.

“It was an emotional meeting,” Quick said. “There were tears in his eyes. He was sincere. I said to myself, `OK, let’s see how you do over the summer.’ I gave him a set of rules he had to follow to get back to being part of the program.”

From that point forward, Quick said, Anakwanze never gave him the slightest reason to regret his decision.

“I’m the type of guy who will give someone a second chance and nine times out of 10 it comes back to bite me in the butt,” Quick said.

“But Odera is that guy who makes me want to give the other nine another chance.

“There has been a 180-degree change from the kid he was to the young man he is today. There has been a huge amount of growth and maturity.”

In retrospect, what has been truly surprising about Anakwanze’s senior year is that he not only grew up off the court, he’s became a productive member of a 30-2 varsity team on it. Anakwanze, who was 5-foot-6 when he entered high school and about 6-1 as a junior, is now a 6-2 starting forward who has played well in the biggest games of the season.

Anakwanze had eight points and nine rebounds in Thursday’s 63-49 victory over Foothill, which put Peninsula in the Southern California Regional Division II semifinals tonight at Summit High in Fontana.

He had 12 points and 14 rebounds in Peninsula’s CIF Southern Section Division II-A quarterfinal win at Segerstrom, and 11 rebounds in its down-to-the-wire semifinal loss at Mayfair.

“It’s been a huge difference for him and for our team,” Menard said. “When I heard he was back in the program, I was wondering if he would even get any playing time. But he’s played great for us and he’s getting better all the time as he gets more confident.”

Quick is pleasantly surprised by the unexpected addition of a solid rebounder and defender, plus an opportunistic scorer, to a team that needed more inside toughness. But he is not shocked.

“I always thought he had potential,” Quick said. “He’s a good athlete, he’s strong, he’s got those long arms and he’s grown a lot in his time here.

“When I let him back in the program I was praying he would commit to playing defense and rebounding. He’s done that even better than I could have hoped for.”

The road from non-starting JV player to starting on the varsity for one of the best teams in Division II of the state tournament began soon after his father’s passing. Anakwanze’s cousin, Chuck, who is 6-4 and played basketball at Peninsula six years ago, put him through some meaningful summer workouts.

Raring to go in the fall, Anakwanze earned a starting spot early in the season. He’s averaged 5.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game, numbers he’s raised in the playoffs.

“I’m usually going against guys a lot bigger than me,” Anakwanze said. “I’ve learned how important it is to box out at all times.

“I realized I could make a difference when I got a chance to start early in the season. I have more confidence now. I feel comfortable out on the court.”

Off the court, Odera fits in as well.

“My heart goes out to anyone who loses a parent like he did,” Menard said. “I think our basketball team is like a second family to him. He’s like a brother to us.

“He’s got that sense of humor you appreciate. It’s been a great experience for him and us.”

Anakwanze has no complaints about the way he was treated before his senior year.

“I used to do a lot of dumb stuff,” he said, smiling. “I missed basketball. I know I would have wanted a second chance, but if things were different, I’m not sure I would have had the confidence to go into Coach’s office and ask for it.”